What happens during a Lomi Lomi massage? How is it performed?

A Lomi Lomi usually commences with a stillness between the practitioner and client, often with the practitioners hands gently resting on the clients back. In this stillness the practitioner will quietly say a blessing or prayer asking for whatever healing is needed to take place during the massage. Alternatively or as well, the client may be asked to set their intention for any healing they would like to receive. The masseuse then works very intuitively with the client. In this respect there is no set format or sequence for the massage and no two massages will ever be identical.

The massage is given in fluid, rhythmic motion using the forearms as well as the hands. Some people have described this as feeling like gentle waves moving over the body. Another feature is that different parts of the body may be massaged at the same time, for example one arm or hand may be working on a shoulder and the other hand may be working on the opposite hip. This assists the recipient in totally relaxing as it is impossible or at least extremely difficult for the brain to focus on the two different areas at once.

By not working on areas in isolation a deep sense of balance and harmony is achieved. As I said earlier, whilst technique is important, the priority is loving the body, using intuition so the massage is "right" for the client. The client on the table is not viewed as someone to be fixed, but a being to be returned to harmony and balance. It is important to remember that the practitioner does not heal but is the facilitator for the healing.

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Full body strokes also help to free the energy, make the body soft, promoting free and abundant flow of life energy in the recipient. According to Huna philosophy, energy also gets blocked in the joints. Gentle stretches of the body and gentle rotations of the joints are therefore also incorporated to assist the release of tensions and assist the flow of energy, once again not forcing, but feeling the level of the clients resistance or comfort. The masseuse may also hum at various points during the Lomi Lomi as the vibrating and amplified energy that results also aids the release of blockages.

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Dancework or hula movements, combined with the breathwork of the practitioner are also important and integral aspects of Lomi Lomi. The reason for the hula type dance around the table whilst massaging is not just because it looks cute! The movements are all important to assisting the energy flow both within the practitioner and recipient and helps keep the energy at a high level. This combined with breathing techniques by the masseuse are also important in assisting the energy flow. The sharing of the breath, the essence of the Creator or universal energy, whatever name you like to give it, is an old Hawaiian custom and greatly enhances the energy flow once again.

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Another major difference from other massage is that the person rather than being covered completely by towels, is covered by a small sheet or towel leaving most of the body exposed during the massage, whilst maintaining the recipients modesty. This makes it a lot easier to perform thefull body strokes without interrupting the flow of the massage. You may be thinking it must be very cold in the middle of winter. To overcome this and ensure the comfort of the client, heaters can be used to maintain the room temperature at a warm level.

Because the practitioner works intuitively, a massage may be slow and very relaxing or at times it may be a little faster and therefore more invigorating and enlivening to the body. Sometimes the recipient may experience an emotional release as the massage can release and shift negative emotions, negative beliefs and other "stuff" that has been stored in the cells of the body, with the healing effects of the massage continuing long after the massage is over.

Photo: Thomas Wanhoff